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Maxime BORDIVAL
Abstract
Numerical modelling and optimisation of the infrared heating step for the stretch-blow-moulding or PET bottles
Maxime Bordival - 6 July 2009
During a stretch-blow-moulding cycle, the heat conditioning of
the preform is a critical step. We propose an optimisation
method allowing to automatically compute the best set of process
parameters for the infrared oven.
Firstly, we couple the
Nelder-Mead optimisation algorithm with finite-element
simulations of the blowing step performed using ABAQUS®. The
goal is to calculate the optimal temperature distribution inside
the preform, in order to provide a bottle with a uniform
thickness. Secondly, we couple a sequential quadratic
programming method with an in-lab software devoted to the 3D
simulation of the infrared heating. This method aims to
calculate the best set of parameters for the infrared
oven. Numerical results of the optimisation have been
qualitatively validated by comparison with experimental
measurements performed using a semi-industrial blowing machine
and a simple-design bottle.
The radiative properties of PET are measured using an infrared
spectrometer. These properties are used to calculate the
spectral radiative absorption of PET. Heating simulations are
validated with temperature measurements performed with an
infrared camera. We also have developed a sensor in order to
measure the thermal contact resistance between the polymer and
the mould. In addition, the air flow rate was measured inside
the preform, and applied as an input parameter. Then, the air
pressure is automatically computed using a thermodynamic
model. Experimental measurements, performed on an in-lab blowing
machine, are used to validate the blowing kinematics and the
thickness distribution of the bottle predicted by the
simulations.
Key words:
Stretch-blow-moulding, Infrared heating modelling, Finite
element simulations, Numerical optimization
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